Immigration newsletter 04 Jun 2014

Do you have a professional level contract in the UK paying at least £180 per day? If so, we can help you find a sponsor and obtain a UK Tier 2 (General) skilled worker visa. It is easier to switch if you already have a Tier 1 PSW visa or Tier 4 student visa or Tier 2 Visa. The UK Tier 1 Entrepreneur scheme may also be an option. Why not contact the London office for further details.

UK Immigration Solicitor needed - Call the UK office on 0344 991 9222

European electorate votes against immigration

Many voters throughout the European Union voted for anti-Europe, anti-immigration parties at the European parliamentary elections in May.

In the UK, France, and Denmark, parties with anti-immigration agendas won the popular vote. In other countries such as Austria, the Netherlands and Germany, anti-EU parties did well.

Pro-European Union parties still hold a majority in the European parliament but Eurosceptic parties are demanding concessions. UK prime minister David Cameron is pressing for reform to limit the free movement of EU citizens within the EU.

US Republicans 'should pass delayed immigration reform'

A senior Democrat, Senator Harry Reid, has urged Republicans in the US House of Representatives to pass immigration reform law which would come into force in 2017.

Some House Republicans say that they will not pass immigration reform legislation now because they do not trust President Obama. Mr Reid suggests that they could pass the law now to come into force in 2017, after Mr Obama has left office. But many believe that the real reason that House Republicans will not vote for reform is that they fear that a vote would split their party.

UK-annual net immigration remains at 212,000

The latest UK immigration figures show that net immigration in the year to December 2013 was 212,000. This is over twice the government's target. There was a significant rise of 43,000 in the number of immigrants from the European Union but a small fall of 11,000 in immigration from outside the EU.

The figures show that it will be extremely hard for Prime Minister David Cameron to honour his pledge to cut immigration to 'tens of thousands' by the time of the next election in May 2015.

Democrat Senators tell US immigration campaigners to focus on Boehner

Democratic senators in the US have urged immigration reform campaigners to spend the summer pressuring Republican members of the House of Representatives to support immigration reform.

A bill was passed by the Senate in June 2013 and must be passed by the House of Representatives before August 1st to become law.

Democratic senators believe that enough Republicans support the bill for it to become law but the Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner is preventing a vote. It is said he fears that holding a vote on immigration reform would split the party.

Major: Cameron may be able to renegotiate EU immigration rules

Sir John Major, a former Conservative UK prime minister, says that current Prime Minister David Cameron has a good chance of persuading European Union countries to limit the free movement of labour. Currently, EU citizens are allowed to live and work anywhere in the Union.

Sir John told the BBC that the success of anti-immigration parties at EU elections should persuade politicians to limit that freedom. Sir John says that the results show that reform is necessary.

60,000 asylum seekers have reached EU in 2014

The EU’s border agency Frontex says that 60,000 asylum seekers have entered the EU so far in 2014. The migrants generally cross the Mediterranean from Africa or come by land through Turkey.

Frontex expects 2014 to be a record year beating 2011 when 140,000 asylum seekers arrived in the EU.

The main reason for the upsurge is the civil war in Syria. The United Nations says that almost three million people have been displaced since 2011.